GRÓ LRT visit to the President of Iceland
The GRÓ LRT fellows had the honour of visiting the President of Iceland, Mr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence, this morning.
The President warmly welcomed the GRÓ LRT fellows and staff at his premises. He gave a short remark on the importance of land restoration and Iceland’s experience in dealing with land degradation. The President told the fellows also about wetland restoration activities on the Bessastaðir estate, where ditches have been filled with the aim of reducing carbon emissions from the land and improving the habitat of birds. Then, the President and guests stepped outside to look at the wetland restoration site on the estate. The President’s introduction and the ongoing wetland restoration work at Bessastaðir sparked a lively discussion on ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management, and of the importance of working together on solutions to the global environmental challenges. The visit was concluded with Ms Binna Kipandula from Malawi, talking on behalf of the fellows, where she thanked the president for the invitation and the government of Iceland for providing training opportunities for professionals working the field of land restoration and sustainable land management in the developing countries.